Back in 1993, Fox premiered the science fiction classic of X-Files. The show lasted nine seasons, and two movies were made. FBI special agents Dana Scully(Gilian Anderson) and Fox Mulder(David Duchovny) investigated paranormal phenomena. While Scully was brought in to question everything and try to debunk the evidence, Mulder was very much a believer. Season 9 ended in 2002, and this tenth season brings past fans, and others who are now interested, back into the story without skipping much of a beat- right into the year 2016. Can X-Files be the success it once was? The creator of the show, Chris Carter sure is going to try.
The first episode, entitled, My Struggle, opens right away with exposition to explain the show's premise and catch everyone up with Fox Mulder flipping through pictures and talking about his obsession with the global phenomenon of alien encounters since his sister disappeared when he was twelve- due to what he believes was an alien abduction. His search led him to the FBI, where he worked in the unit known as the X-Files. In 1993, Scully was brought in as a medical doctor and scientist to debunk his work. In 2002, the FBI closed the X-Files, and operation stopped, but his obsession did not.
Flashback to 1947 in the High Desert of Northwest New Mexico. A military-looking doctor is brought to the scene of a crashed alien spacecraft. Remember this, because there is a lot of jumping around going on in this show.
We find Dr. Scully working at a hospital in Washington D.C. She gets a call from Walter Skinner, the assistant director of the FBI. He is brought back from the old seasons. So, basically a reunion is happening with Scully and Mulder. They meet up with Tad O'Malley (Joel McHale), who is a popular and wealthy conspiracy theory nut with his own show, Truth Squad. Mulder thinks he has an "O'Reilly Factor" going on.
O'Malley takes the two in his bullet-proof limo to the middle-of-nowhere, Virginia, where he introduces Svetta (Annet Mahendru) to the duo. Sveta tells Mulder that she has met him before. Apparently, she was inteviewed by him when she was younger, as she has been abducted by aliens several times, and apparently impregnanted by them. She even has alien DNA in her! The aliens purportedly took her babies before they were able to be born. Scully, still the skeptic, runs a DNA test on her, while Svetta freaks her out with her ability to read her mind. She told Scully of her previous relationship with Mulder, and how she and Mulder even had a child together.
O'Malley takes Mulder to a hangar in the middle of nowhere, and he sees an ARV (alien replica vehicle) that levitates and runs on "zero point energy," and also turns invisible, thanks to Element 115. Mulder learns that the government has been sitting on this technology for about seventy years.
Yes, as it turns out, humans and the government are going to be the bad guys in this season. The aliens came down to try to help the human race and most likely save us from destroying ourselves in war, but the government has been using alien technology for years now, and THEY are they ones experimenting on people and impregnating them with aliens, and flying around in the spacecraft. Those UFO sightings everyone's been seeing over the years? Probably the government going for a test drive.
Speaking of which, we see that Dr. Scully is back in the lab, drawing samples of her own blood to test her DNA. When she is talking to creepy Tad, there is blood spattered all over her neck. Later in the show, after she's doing another surgery, and she takes a minute to do a search on her computer, there's more blood splattered on her. Maybe she needs a mirror when she's washing up after her surgeries to make sure that she's blood free?
Mulder hitch-hikes back to Sveta's place and finds out from her that she doesn't believe that it was aliens, but she's on to the humans being the ones who experimented on her and took her babies. Mulder tells her that she can trust him, but she reminds him that he works for the government. He says it's a technicality, but hasn't really for years. Sveta says,"You always wondered if they haven't lied to you, too?" Now, Mulder is starting to become the skeptic.
The army doctor flashback that I said you were supposed to remember, well, there was a scene were other military people killed a wounded alien, and the doctor picked it up, and carried it off to study it or something. He comes into play when Mulder meets up with him(he's now an old guy, of course), and tries to get answers out of him, and they play a little arguing game where we find out nothing, of course, because this doctor guy knows what's up, but apparently, he doesn't think Mulder is ready for the info yet? He does say that Roswell was a smokescreen. No, really?
Scully comes to Sveta's place where they argue some more. Scully tells Sveta that she doesn't have alien DNA. Sveta later tells the news that she was never abducted by aliens, that Tad paid her to tell her stories. Mulder goes to her house to try to find her, but she is gone.
Military jeeps drive to the secret hangar with the ARV, and blow up the ARV, scientists, and all.
Scully checks the web for Tad's show, but it has been taken down. Mulder stalks her in the parking garage after writing "Don't give up" in the dirt on her back window. We now find out that Sveta really did have alien DNA, and so does Scully. Skinner sends them an urgent text saying that they need to meet ASAP.
We see Sveta driving down the abandoned highway when a UFO appears, a beam locks on to her, and before she can get out of her car, there is a huge explosion.
Episode 1 of Season 10 closes with The Cigarette Man(apparently, a recurring character from the old seasons). He's smoking out of a special device attached to his stoma. He's not too thrilled with the news that the X-Files have been reopened.
That's my take on the first episode of the new season. The show has received mixed reviews, but the first episode which piggy-backed off of the NFL Conference Championship game on Fox, and left viewers who didn't know to set their DVRs an extra half hour a little upset, has had more viewers than the series finale in 2002 did. There were 21.4 million viewers(including DVR playback and streaming), according to Entertainment Weekly. It beat out it's own "series finale" by twenty-four percent. There was also a strong viewing of the 2nd episode shown the next day. After four more episodes, we will see if Fox wants to bring another season.
Episode 3 of X-Files Season 10 will be aired on Monday, Feb. 1, 2016. Fans can watch the revived thriller on FOX.
What did you think of the first and second episode? Thirsty for more? Leave your comments below!
